Nurses stress importance of personal interaction at National Nurses Week awards ceremony

Critical care of people, however, is her true calling.

She was singled out for leadership early on. “I’ve been a nurse for eight years, and I’ve been a charge nurse since I started.”

She has her own patients at Methodist Hospitals, is in charge of admissions and coordinates care for others. 

After receiving a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Purdue Calumet in Hammond (now Purdue University Northwest), Eggleston spent two years on the neurology Intermediate Care Unit at Methodist. “It’s a step down from the ICU. It’s still critical.”

She then moved to Vibra, a long-term critical care facility in Crown Point, until the COVID pandemic hit, when she became a travel nurse. Eggleston returned to Methodist in 2021.

Now, she has neen named a top nurse in the Region by peer review.

Maybe it’s in her DNA. Eggleston has aunts on both sides of her family who were nurses. An early loss shaped her desire to serve others.

“My mom, when I was 25, got sick with cancer and passed away, but I would help with taking her to appointments and I would see her interaction at these appointments and even at the hospitals and that’s what I wanted to do, to help people, too.”

The human connection is everything for Eggleston, who is a preceptor, training new registered nurses. 

“I teach them the ways of the hospital how to apply those skills.

Likewise, she relishes the connection with patients, taking care of them during their most vulnerable times and earning their trust that she has their best interest at heart and will advocate for them.

Eggleston has deepened her critical care skills in various specialties.

“I am float nurse so I move around. I don’t have a specific home in the hospital. I jump from floor to floor each day. One day I could be working the rehab unit, the next day I’m working cardiac IMCU.”

She is enthusiastic about emerging technology in the cardio-thoracic surgical field. “They are doing robotic open-heart surgery at our hospital now, which  just blows my mind.”

Registered nurse Julijana Miloshevska has worked alongside Eggleston on the neuro IMCU unit for three years, caring for patients who have had strokes, brain procedures and more. 

What sets Eggleston apart is that patient interaction.

“Chris spends a lot of time with the patients," said Miloshevska. "She spends a particular amount of time with the family members as well. Not all nurses have that kind of patience.”

Miloshevska credits Eggleston with the knowledge of an ICU nurse. “Sometimes when we have a code, we need to prepare the patient before the doctors come,” Miloshevka says. “Chris already knows what we need to do. We just don’t have the orders but she’s already assigning roles: ‘You do the blood pressure. You do the blood sugar.’ By the time the doctors are here, we are already set up.”

Just over a year ago, Eggleston lost her 20-year-old daughter, Alexis, to a fentanyl overdose. “Since I lost my daughter, it has pushed me so much harder to want to help people,” she said. “People who are vulnerable — no matter what the situation is.”

“Ever since I was little, I wanted to be a doctor. I did a school presentation in sixth grade about how I wanted to be a baby doctor,” Encarnacion said.

It's a family thing, said Encarnacion, whose relatives include a physician assistant, an ultrasound technician and a nurse's aide.

“Their professions helped me understand that health care is my true calling,” she said.

“I went to Notre Dame for pre-med to become a doctor. In 2019, I started working in an ER as a medical scribe,” Encarnacion said. “Working in that ER confirmed that nursing is the path I want.”

It has led Encarnacion to being named one of the top nurses in the Region by peer review.

In 2021, she became a health unit coordinator and saw the tireless advocacy and clinical precision required of high-level nursing. Noticing that nurses are far more engaged in direct patient care than doctors, she shifted her focus.

“It's the best decision I ever made,” she said.

She graduated from Purdue University Northwest in 2024 and became an emergency department nurse with Franciscan Health.

“My first night as a new nurse, I had a very sick patient whose condition was rapidly declining. Despite my 'nurse senses' telling me something was wrong, the doctors didn’t take me seriously because I was inexperienced,” she said.

When the situation became urgent, she called in surgery and stayed extra hours to support and reassure the patient. Six weeks later, the patient’s family sent a heart-felt card saying she had recovered and was healthy. “It was surreal and rewarding to see that my advocacy helped her,” she said.

In December 2025, she achieved her ultimate goal. “I’m now pursuing my dream job as a neonatal intensive care unit nurse at Methodist (Hospitals) North Lake,” said Encarnacion. NICU nurses provide intensive care to premature or critically ill newborns.

“My favorite things are spending time with my little ones in the NICU and really talking with my patients in their most vulnerable times in the emergency room,” Encarnacion said.

A challenge Encarnacion faces is finding balance. She must stay adaptable and adjust her mindset to identify the appropriate actions for each situation. She says she gains insight by talking with the people she assists during times of need.

“Right now, I feel like I’m living a dream,” Encarnacion said.

She says working in two departments at once is the best of both worlds. Caring for babies has always been a goal of hers, and emergency medicine holds a special place in her heart for its chaos, unpredictability and fast pace.

Encarnacion, who was born in Hammond and lives in East Chicago, wants to see where it all leads, perhaps to more degrees, perhaps to teaching. “I’ve thought about going back for nursing education, because I would love to do clinicals with students,” she said.

“It is mind-blowing to be recognized so early in my career — and I am truly honored,” Encarnacion said.

Her path into nursing began at an early age. When she was 8, Gustafson spent a week in the hospital with complications from a tonsillectomy.

During that time, “I realized how integral the nurse was,” she said.

From that experience, she knew she wanted to provide the same comfort and reassurance to others, even in life’s most difficult moments.

Gustafson earned her Associate of Science in Nursing from Indiana University Northwest in 1998 and became a registered nurse.

She began her career in a medical-surgical unit, where she spent more than a decade caring for a wide range of patients. “That unit gave me so many learning opportunities and helped prepare me for everything that came after,” she said. She has expanded her experience to include endoscopy, pre-admission testing, critical care and inpatient rehabilitation, each step shaping her approach to patient care.

For the last 2 1/2 years, Gustafson has worked as a remote clinical triage nurse for NorthShore Health Centers in Portage, serving as a critical first point of contact for patients. Often connecting with callers during moments of fear or uncertainty, she assesses symptoms over the phone and helps determine whether they should seek emergency care, schedule a visit or manage symptoms at home.

“No two days are the same,” she said. “Sometimes people just need someone to guide them.”

Her ability to do that effectively is what sets her apart. “She listens carefully, asks the right questions and quickly assesses each situation to determine the safest and most appropriate course of action,” said Laura Walton, clinical operations manager at NorthShore Health Centers. “Judi consistently delivers compassionate, patient-centered care that reassures callers and helps them feel heard, understood and supported.”

Despite the rewards, the role comes with challenges. Not always knowing whether a patient followed through on her recommendations — or the outcome — can weigh heavily.

“There are certain people and situations I will never forget,” Gustafson said. Still, she views those moments as an important part of her growth, shaping the nurse she has become.

That balance of clinical skill and compassion is what leaves a lasting impression.

“Her calm, reassuring demeanor helps de-escalate anxiety and build trust,” Walton said. “Patients rely on her not just for medical advice, but also for comfort and clarity during difficult moments.”

For Gustafson, nursing has never been just a job; it is a career defined by compassion, trust and a commitment to guiding patients, even when the outcome is unknown.

Today, with a degree from St. Mary’s College and a nearly two-decade career as an oncology nurse — first at Community Hospital and for the last five years at Northwest Cancer Centers — she reflects on those early impressions of nursing that inspired her.

“Seeing that at a young age, I knew I wanted to help people as well,” says the Cedar Lake resident. “And over the years, I have loved getting to know my patients and being a part of their journey. They’re so much more than their disease and developing those relationships with them is very rewarding.”

To add to these rewards, Henderson was selected as a top nurse in the Region by peer review.

While often an uplifting part of the job, Henderson notes that those relationships with patients and their families can also be a challenge, particularly in an oncology setting where things don’t always work out as everyone hopes.

“Because we become so close with our patients, it is very hard when we lose them,” she says.

But that’s when she’s grateful to have the support of co-workers including Carolyn Swacus who know just what it’s like to go through those difficult moments.

“Megan has a very compassionate and calming nature,” explains Swacus, who has not only worked with Henderson for the last five years, but also helped set her up with her husband, Eric. “Because she develops such close relationships with patients and their families, she is often someone they seek out specifically for their treatment. And that’s a testament to how she always goes above and beyond.”

Outside of work, Henderson enjoys spending time with Eric, as well as helping to coach softball at Hanover Central High School. And even as these activities give her a respite from the stresses and demands of nursing, she’s always happy to get back to the calling she heard as a young girl.

“This job isn’t like other jobs,” she says. “It can be very hard and challenging but very rewarding as well. We’re with patients when they are at their most vulnerable, and I’m honored that they trust me to be there with them.”

“I looked their majors and looked down their list and I saw nursing,” she said. “I figured if I picked that, I would be able to get a job when I graduated.”

She got that job at Methodist Hospitals in 1981 after graduating from Indiana Wesleyan University and more than 40 years later, the registered nurse with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing remains there as a rehabilitation case manager.

Many good nurses are lauded by their peers or bosses for going beyond the call of duty to help their patients and Hutnick is no exception. She was selected as a top nurse in the Region by peer review.

But what amazes Methodist Director of Case Management Mirko Bebekoski is Hutnick's dedication to the job even when she is away from it.

“She does a lot of things on her own,” he said. “Here is a typical example: If the doctor says the patient needs a rolling walker to go short distances and insurance doesn’t pay for it, Cheryl will go and find a rolling walker.

“She might find one at the American Legion that people have donated. Sometimes she works with vendors and purchases a walker at a better price so the patient can afford it.”

Hutnick also has some extra clothes and shoes at her disposal to give to patients.

“If the patients don’t have anything to go home with, she will have something for them," Bebekoski said.

“I tell people that she bleeds blue because Methodist’s color is blue.”

Hutnick said she's not the only one on staff who brings in items for patients, but when she saw that some patients couldn’t afford certain equipment, she started to look out for it.

“I would go to rummage sales and if there was something in good working condition, I would buy it and bring it to work so we would have a little extra if needed,” she said. “I usually look for walkers, but sometimes I will come across a good wheelchair.”

When Hutnick was starting out at Methodist, she was thrown into the fire  working in neurology and the intensive care unit.

For a young nurse, seeing some of the suffering and death might be a bit hard to take, but she felt she was helping people, even it dire situations.

“It was hard in some cases watching people die,” she said. “I always look at it as ‘what would their life be like if they lived?’ I believe in quality of life.

“But when I started, Methodist was one of the best hospitals in the area and the doctors have been really great and that’s why I loved working in the ICU.”

At 65, she is not ready for retirement and plans on working as long as she can.

Reflecting on her decision at Wabash to choose nursing as a major is something she has no regrets about.

“It was the best choice for me,” she said. “I love it. I learn something every single day.”

“For Michelle, nursing is not simply about managing care plans,” she said. “It is about holding a hand during uncertainty, offering reassurance to families, advocating fiercely for dignity and ensuring that every resident feels seen, valued and safe.”

Hynek joined Belvedere Senior Housing in 2020 as a qualified medication aide (QMA), a type of certified nursing assistant who has completed training to administer medications and treatments in a senior health facility, while she pursued her nursing degree. She later transitioned into the roles of floor nurse, assistant director of nursing and her current position as director of nursing since 2024.

Her health-care experience also includes serving as an emergency medical technician, where she was part of an advanced life support team that responded to 911 calls for the town of Merrillville.

This experience adds up to Hynek being chosen as a top nurse in the Region by peer review.

“My inspiration has always come from the relationships I build with people,” Hynek said. “Early in my career, I realized how meaningful it was to provide comfort, dignity and care, especially to seniors. That connection, and the ability to truly make a difference in someone’s life, is what led me to pursue nursing.”

While Hynek’s role as director of nursing includes a significant amount of administrative responsibility, she says she makes it a priority to stay connected.

“I enjoy walking the halls, greeting residents and keeping my door open to both residents and staff,” she said. “I continue to work on the floor alongside my team because it allows me to stay engaged, understand their challenges and provide support in real time.”

After all, the small moments can make a big difference, she says.

“Whether it’s checking in on how someone is feeling or finding ways to improve their day, those moments matter,” Hynek said.

“The small moments are often the most meaningful — the smiles, the hugs from residents and the trust shown by families,” Hynek said. “Those moments stay with me and serve as a constant reminder of why this work is so important.”

Mentorship is another important role in her journey, and Hynek says she strives to provide the same level of guidance to her colleagues that she has received during her career.

“Helping my team grow and succeed is something I take great pride in,” she said.

Hynek embodies what compassionate leadership looks like in action, Puente said.

“We are profoundly grateful for her unwavering dedication, her clinical excellence and the warmth she brings to our community every single day,” she said.

“Cancer is probably the toughest diagnosis you can get, and we get to be the good part of helping,” she said. “On one hand, it's not great that I'm the one giving you the medicine, but I'm also trying to make you better. I get to be the positive person in your life, coaching you through it and helping you manage your side effects and being your support person. It’s more than just giving you medicine and sending you on your way. In our clinic, people become really, really close with their patients, and it’s about being there for people.”

That attitude contributed to Kabella being selected as a top nurse in the Region by peer review.

Kabella grew up in New Jersey and moved to Northwest Indiana 10 years ago after marrying her brother’s boot camp bunk mate. She always planned to become a nurse.

“I had one family member who was a nurse and she was just very cool, and I wanted to be just like her when I grew up,” she said. “There really wasn't any other option for me. I just knew that was what I was going to do. It was like yep, I'm going to be a nurse, that's my plan.”

But the plan didn’t include oncology. When Kabella first moved here, her mother-in-law suggested she apply for a job at St. Mary, which at the time had two positions open — oncology and intensive care.

“Being an ICU nurse is not in my blood, but I didn’t want to work in oncology, either,” she said. “I thought who wants to do that? But I decided to apply and if they accepted me, I’d have my foot in the door and then be able to transfer to a unit that I wanted later on. But that’s not what happened. I got the job working in oncology, and I fell in love with it and immediately realized it was my thing. I knew that was where I belonged.”

Sarah Cycon, a registered nurse, has worked with Kabella at St. Mary and Northwest Cancer Centers for the last six years.

“She is a phenomenal nurse, co-worker and friend,” said Cycon, also an infusion nurse. “She is unwaveringly positive and upbeat. More than one patient has nicknamed her Sunshine. Olivia brings joy and reassurance to patients going through some very difficult treatments, and she does so with humor and compassion. She has an incredible talent for making chemo seem less scary. I'm lucky to have her as a co-worker; she supports her fellow nurses just as fiercely as she does her patients.

“She always makes her patients feel welcome, cared for, and heard,” she said.

Kabella appreciates her nursing colleagues.

“I think everybody just feels blessed to be able to be a part of NCC,” she said, “and to be able to do our part in making people better and just supporting the patients during what is a difficult time.”

She was a stay-at-home mom when her children were young. And when she was looking to return to working outside of her home, she knew she wanted to go a different route.

“When it was time to re-enter the working world, I knew I needed something different and more satisfying,” said Keen. “I consider myself a people person, so working in an office by myself was not my forte. I knew the commitment to attend nursing school in my 40s would be a struggle, but at the end of the day it was so worth it.”

Keen attended nursing school at Valparaiso University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2017. She worked at St. Jospeh Medical Center for two years on the medical/surgical unit, then at Michiana Hematology Oncology for several years as a Radiation Oncology RN.

For the last year, she has worked at Northwest Cancer Centers as an Infusion RN.

“We administer chemotherapy, immunotherapy, iron products, hydration and electrolytes — whatever the patient may need,” she said. “We assess our patient during treatment, educate our patient about their treatment and advocate for our patient.”

This adds up to Keen being selected as a top nurse in the Region by peer review.

Her main inspiration for going into nursing was simple: At the end of the day, she wanted to know she was making a difference.

“Cathy has been a wonderful addition to our nursing team,” said Nurse Manager Kimberly Lee. “Even though she has not been with us for long, she has made a big impact on the patients and staff she interacts with on a daily basis. She is a caring and dependable nurse and is a great choice for this award. We are lucky to have her.”

The part of her job that she loves most is spending time with patients. “I learn something new daily by conversing and interacting with patients,” she said. “The most important part of being an RN is active listening. It is essential to hear my patients so I can address their needs.”

Outside of nursing, Keen enjoys working in her yard and flower beds, reading, lounging in the pool, camping and spending time with family and friends.

She has been married to her husband, Dave, for 23 years. They share two daughters, Aryanna and Morgan; a son, Jacob; a son-in-law, Austin; and two granddaughters, Ryatt and Molly. Also part of their family are their golden retrievers, Brantley and Gus.

“To anyone who is thinking about pursuing a career in nursing, do it. The opportunities for RNs are endless,” said Keen. “We all find our passion or niche, the environment we excel in, the arena we want to continue to learn about. Keep allowing yourself the opportunity to grow."

“I watched them be such amazing advocates and support systems for them while going through such a difficult time in their lives,” she said.

The experience inspired Moriarty to change her specialty so she could give that same care to patients and their families going through cancer treatments.

“I wanted to be that support for others, the way the nurses were for my family and me,” she said.

Now an infusion registered nurse with Northwest Cancer Centers, Moriarty administers treatments and works with patients and caregivers to educate them on new care strategies. Each day, her department can administer 70 to 90 infusions that include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, iron and hydration treatments — with some taking as little as a few minutes to others lasting 10 hours, she said.

“Working in oncology is so emotionally heavy,” Moriarty said. “Our patients are going through some of the hardest times of their lives. Seeing them smile, laugh and just feel at ease is the absolute best feeling.”

It’s those moments of connection for which Moriarity was chosen as a top nurse in the Region by peer review. They also keep her passionate about the work she does.

“To me, being a nurse means being someone others can rely on and trust in their greatest time of need,” Moriarty said.

As a coworker who works closely alongside Moriarty, Jessica Jahnke says she sees that compassion each day.

“She is always the first person to help without asking at work,” Jahnke said. “She loves her patients deeply with a calm, reassuring demeanor. I have never met someone more positive and supportive.”

Even with meaningful connections, Moriarty acknowledges the challenges that come with oncology care. She doesn’t hesitate to point to a team that adapts quickly, supports one another and never loses sight of putting patients first.

“I would be nothing without all of the nurses I’ve worked alongside since the start of my career,” Moriarty said. “They’ve taught me everything I know and have helped me get through my toughest shifts.”

Moriarty says a close support system of family and friends, as well as using weightlifting and boxing as stress relievers, helps her navigate the emotional demands of the job.

“People may not realize how much we all think of our patients on a day-to-day basis, even after the shift is over,” Moriarty said. “We all build such close relationships with our patients, and it’s hard to watch them and their loved ones going through a hard time. On the other side of that, it makes our entire day brighter when we hear positive news.”

During her many conversations with oncology patients, she says one message has stayed with her.

“Patients have taught me to never take anything for granted, to enjoy life, the little things, family, friends and health,” Moriarty said. “You never know what is going to happen tomorrow. Not that I didn’t appreciate these things before, but now I try and keep this in mind every moment of each day.”

“Observing my parents and older siblings care for our family inspired my desire to help others,” she recalls.

That desire has taken Robinson on a 30-year journey through the health-care world, where she’s worked in a variety of clinical settings and specialties at facilities including Regency Place of Dyer, Aperion Care and St. Catherine Hospital before arriving in her current role at Methodist Hospitals, where she’s been for nearly three years.

In addition to her clinical work, Robinson is also actively involved with a variety of non-profit health-care organizations such as Global Holistic Health, which provides community education on health-related topics, and the Quantum Visionary Foundation, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology-sponsored program in which she contributes medical expertise for the development of innovative health-care technology.

The goal of her nursing and non-profit work, she says, is of course to always be helping others in the here and now — but also seeking even more ways to make a difference for patients going forward.

“I’m passionate about helping others and making a positive impact in their lives,” she explains. “I find great fulfillment in seeing patients progress from instability to stability and appreciate working in environments that support continuous learning and teamwork.”

This is one reason Robinson was selected as a top nurse in the Region by peer review.

Tiffany Bowling has seen that drive in action, from knowing Robinson as a friend for more than 25 years and more recently working with her at Methodist. Bowling says she sees in Robinson the type of nurse who goes above and beyond whatever she is asked to do what’s right for her patients.

“Nurses are expected to stay within their scope of practice, but in real life we often step up in a variety of meaningful ways to help patients,” Bowling explains. “For example, Sheva understands the importance of engaging with patients and their families to ensure success with the continuity of care, making sure things are in place and finding resources for the less fortunate.”

Outside of work, Robinson enjoys spending time with family and friends, always trying to find ways to relax and recharge, and especially sampling new restaurants throughout the area.

But nursing is never far from her mind, which is why she’s also spending many of her off-hours pursuing a Master of Science in Nursing degree from Northern Kentucky University. It’s all part of continuing the tradition of care that she learned in her childhood home.

“While there are plenty of challenges to being a nurse, by prioritizing tasks, maintaining organization and engaging in ongoing education, I’m proud to be able to continue to provide safe, efficient, and patient-centered care,” she says.

Julie Kerns has worked at Methodist Hospitals for more than 20 years. Her career at Methodist began as a bedside nurse. She has held multiple positions in the organization including supervisor of Employee Health, Clinical Nurse manager, Oncology Nurse navigator, director of Nursing Quality and Regulatory Compliance and, most recently, assistant vice president of Patient Care Services at the Southlake Campus.

Kerns holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Valparaiso University and a Master of Science in Health Informatics from the University of Illinois Chicago.

Amanda Kratovil-Mailhiot, PhD, RN, associate professor of nursing at Purdue University Northwest

Amanda Kratovil-Mailhiot earned her PhD in nursing from Rush University in 2016, her BSN from Rush University in 2005 and a bachelor's in Applied Psychology from the University of Illinois Chicago in 2003.

Her academic and research interests have consistently focused on vulnerable populations. Her dissertation explored the experiences of mothers across the perinatal continuum — before the birth of an infant diagnosed with a fetal anomaly and after delivery in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Since moving to academia in 2017, Kratovil-Mailhiot has led a student-centered initiative to enhance nursing students’ medication calculation competencies. She also was co–principal investigator on a study examining nurses’ perceptions of patients with substance use disorder.

More recently, she has focused on evaluating the effectiveness of evidence-based educational strategies in pre-licensure nursing education.

Elizabeth Marcotte, FNP, associate director Nurse Practitioner, NorthShore Health Centers

Elizabeth Marcotte joined NorthShore Health Centers in 2006 as a registered nurse after earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Driven by a passion for patient care and healing, she returned to school to complete her master’s degree and came back to NorthShore in 2010 as a family nurse practitioner.

As associate director Nurse Practitioner, Marcotte provides compassionate care to her patients while supervising NorthShore’s nurse practitioners. She works closely with the medical director to improve clinical workflows, address gaps in care and ensure a high-quality experience for every patient.

Jennifer Philbin MSN, RN is the dean of Nursing at Ivy Tech Community College.

Jennifer Philbin earned her bachelor’s degree from Lewis University in 1996 and her master’s degree from South University in 2009. She has been in academia for more than 20 years at LPN and RN programs in Illinois and Indiana. She has worked in multiple areas in nursing from medical/surgical, hospice, home health and organ procurement. 

Philbin has been in her current role as dean of the School of Nursing at Ivy Tech for more than 10 years, overseeing the LPN, RN and LPN to RN educational tracks for the Lake County campus. Since 2022 the Lake County campus has doubled its nursing enrollment.

Philbin serves on multiple community committees to help strengthen the health-care work force.